10 shifts in retail
In the past 10 years the international retail climate has improved vastly. With e-commerce now providing the main shopping outlet, people exist in a constant state of potential consumption, whether checking email, taking a break from work, reading news or browsing music. Convenience is now the status quo in retail. Cheap and chic shops offer designer knock-offs for instant gratification and an easy solution for a night out, while locations in airports have turned terminals into mini-malls. WGSN highlights the 10 shifts that have changed the face of retail in the past 10 years.
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Fast fashion
Fashion moves into stores faster than ever before. Monthly and weekly injections of fresh styles invigorate core two season collections, powered by hard-working factories, often in China. Catwalk looks are copied and appear in stores even before the high-end designer has finished selling his original collection.
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Accessories
We knew handbags were popular, but this shift was mind-boggling - accessories (bags, belts, leather goods…) outpacing clothing in terms of sales. Blame Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton for igniting the sector with seasonal must-haves.
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Online
After the initial scepticism, internet shopping exploded. US online sales are expected to top $200bn in 2008, with apparel winning the biggest slice of pie. Online comparison shopping is the new window shopping, with nine out of ten retail purchases made online in the US and EU.?)
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Airports
As air travel became commonplace, brands from Paul Smith to Fat Face opened stores airside. Terminals mirrored the tastes of its new travellers by mutating into malls, giving fashion companies a new revenue stream.
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Luxury for all
Throwaway items integrated with more luxurious staples became the formula for female fashionistas, as chain stores rivalled designers as the most trendy. Middle-market stores struggled to compete as young trend-led chains, such as Primark, H&M and Topshop, offered fantastic design at cheap prices and an affordable, non-committal way to update luxury basics.
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Lifestyle
Fashion retailers now offer a smorgasbord of merchandise, including books, furniture and electronics to meet the needs of each of their customers. Stores such as Colette in Paris and DKNY in New York and London also boast cafes.
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Men
Men's attitudes to retail have transformed in the last ten years. At first, independent retailers adapted to the new male lust for trainers, jeans and moisturiser, then department stores followed. LA Galaxy soccer star David Beckham is the supreme metrosexual and a pioneer of male fashion liberation.
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International
"Mi moda, su moda" became the mantra, as US chain Gap, Sweden's H&M and Spain's Zara took their outlook international by opening stores round the world. Despite fears that everyone would start dressing the same, variety has survived and home-grown stores have happily picked up their game to meet the challenge.
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Ethical
The joy of cheaper clothing has been sullied by guilt about environmental destruction and abused workers. Stores have stepped up to the plate with organic apparel and ecologically-friendly environments, while keeping the fashion on-trend. It seems that every retailer now sells an organic range, while other stores, such as Howies in London, promote an all-encompassing eco store experience.
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Members
With customer loyalty outmoded by larger stores and a more impersonal shopping experience, retailers have fought to win devotion. Discount cards, VIP nights and newsletters for favoured customers are widespread. Fashion brands with their own credit cards are also a booming business.
